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EMERGY analysis for sustainability evaluation
of the Baiyangdian wetland ecosystem in China |
| Weiqing MENG1,Cui HAO2,Hongyuan LI2,Meiting JU2, |
| 1.College of Urban and
Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387,
China; 2.College of Environmental
Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; |
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Abstract This study presents a quantitative and ecological benefit evaluation of the Baiyangdian wetland in China between the years 2000 and 2006. Methods of EMERGY analysis were applied to illustrate the wetland ecosystem, to evaluate the economic and environmental inputs and consequent yields, and to assess the sustainability of the Baiyangdian wetland. The indicators for the integrated ecological and economic system, such as EMERGY yield ratio (EYR) (7.51), EMERGY investment ratio (EIR) (4.52), environmental loading ratio (ELR) (2.92), EMERGY exchange ratio (0.41), and EMERGY sustainable indicator (ESI) (2.57) were calculated, compared, analyzed, and discussed. The non-renewable investment in Baiyangdian was greater than renewable investment, leading to the unsustainable development of the system. High EYR indicated that the Baiyangdian integrated system had created huge profits for its people, while ELR and ESI revealed that human behavior has been a heavy burden on the environment, and countermeasures should be taken by the Chinese government to relieve and resolve these problems. Potential management methods were also proposed in this paper.
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| Keywords
EMERGY analysis
sustainability
wetland ecosystem
indicators
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Issue Date: 05 June 2010
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